โ Scribed by Proinsias Mac Cana
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
The Celts controlled Ireland, Wales, western Scotland, Cornwall and much of Europe for many centuries. Most of the impressive material remains have been found in continental Europe. But the great stories of supernatural creatures and superhuman heroes which make up Celtic mythology nearly all derive from Ireland. The Celts were supreme in Ireland for well over a thousand years, and their influence, including their language, has lasted longer than in any other region.
The Celtic gods resembled those of Rome. There were counterparts of all the main gods and, in addition, the antlered god Cernunnos, 'lord of the animals'. But Celtic mythology is above all rich in the daring exploits of swashbuckling heroes. Cรบ Chulainn engages in one single combat after another to delay the advance of the Connaehtmen as they attack the Ulstermen in search of the mighty bull of Cuailnge. Cรบ Chulainn can be overcome only by trickery and magic. The fantastic adventures of Fionn mac Cumhaill and his companions are still told by Gaelic storytellers. The story of the love of Diarmaid and Grainne is comparable with those of Adonis and Aphrodite and of Tristan and Iseult.
The author gives an enthralling account of the development of these and many other stories, and shows how they express the beliefs and hopes of a great civilisation. Significantly the Celts regarded the Underworld as a land of primeval innocence and happiness filled with enchanting music, beautiful women and exquisite food and drink - an inviting contrast to their hard and dangerous lives on earth.
The book is beautifully illustrated with outstanding examples of the work of Celtic artists and craftsmen.
Introduction 11
The rise of the Celts 11
The decline of the Celts 12
The conservators of tradition 14
The sources 16
The diversity of Celtic mythology 18
Gaulish gods and insular equivalents 23
The gods as noted by Caesar 23
Gaulish 'Mercury': Irish Lugh 27
Teutates, Esus, Taranis: 'Mars', 'Jupiter' 29
Gaulish 'Apollo': various Irish deities 32
Gaulish 'Minerva': Irish Brighid 34
Gaulish 'Vulcan': Irish Goibhniu, Welsh Gofannon 35
Gaulish Ogmios-Hercules: Irish Oghma 37
Gaulish 'Dis Pater': Irish Donn 41
Sucellus and Nantosvelta 44
Cernunnos 44
Triadic groups 48
Goddesses: divine consorts, Matres 49
Cult associations of inanimate nature 50
Cult associations of animate nature 50
The Tuatha Dรฉ Danann 57
The Book of Invasions 57
The Second Battle of Magh Tuiredh 58
The coming of the Gaels 64
The retreat of the Tuatha Dรฉ 64
The Daghda 66
Irish Nuadha: Welsh Nudd 67
Manannรกn mac Lir 69
The gods of Britain 75
The family of Dรดn 75
The family of Llลทr 76
Pwyll, Rhiannon and Pryderi 80
The goddesses of the insular Celts 85
Medhbh of Connacht 85
Goddesses of war 86
Macha 90
Goddesses of the happy otherworld 91
รdaรญn 91
The goddess of sovereignty 94
The heroic tradition 97
The Ulster Cycle 97
The foretales: Deirdre and the sons of Uisnech 97
The Feast of Bricriu 99
Cรบ Chulainn 101
The Fionn Cycle 106
The elopement of Diarmaid and Grรกinne 110
Fionn and Arthur 115
Sacral kingship 117
The otherworld 123
The Feast of Samhain 126
The land of the dead 128
The integral tradition 131
Further Reading List 138
Acknowledgments 138
Index 139
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Introduces the Celts and their mythology, relating seven tales with their roots primarily in Ireland and Wales and placing each in historical and cultural context.
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480 pages : 26 cm